


Companions are Good for the Soul

by wary_deku



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Abandonment, Anxiety Attacks, Basically everyone is mentally unstable, Bendy is insecure, Eventual Romance, Eventual recovery, F/M, Isolation, Joey Drew is evil, Long-time friendships, Misogyny, Sammy Lawrence was brainwashed, Sexism in the 1900s, Suicidal Thoughts, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 22,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23649304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wary_deku/pseuds/wary_deku
Summary: Her creation was meant to be progressive. Instead, life was set back.
Relationships: "Bendy" | Ink Bendy/Original Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> If you see any spelling mistakes and whatever else, please tell me

It had all began that one night; when the wind howled and the studio shuddered at the night’s call. The said building could barely hold itself up at the time, let alone protect an entire team of animators behind its rickety walls. It was a wonder it still stood. Magic perhaps? Who knows; It was certainly something though, because the manager had no hesitation in continuing everyday life in that cursed studio. But life wasn’t ever going to be the same, not after this night. Not when Joey drew took one look at the flickering cartoon that played from the projector, that was plagued with age just like the rest of the studio, and decided to experiment with the popularity of the show. While the show was thriving, Joey had a feeling that something was holding his studio back from further success. This experiment was supposed to be just that; an experiment. One where all those involved were not harmed; and most of all, the creatures involved with it had about the same value as an object. Replacable; capable of being replicated if the situation called for it. The issue with this is that when he decided to do it, it was a spur of the moment decision with no consideration of the consequences. You see, Drew was not the most stable person around and that was confirmed when he created the cartoon that hit the screens abnormally fast and he still ended up craving more, better reviews. More fame. His greed would be his downfall and his sins would follow him to his grave; not that he is far from his resting place.

It was a late night for Joey Drew studios, and the only sign of life that was present was the notable breaths and puffs that bounced off the walls with forced intensity. It was that of a mentally unstable music producer, Sammy Lawrence, and his employer, Joey Drew in all his Cigar-smoking glory. Now this wouldn’t be so strange; two hotshots inhabiting the studio. Well, if it weren’t for the clock ticking down and striking 3 AM, maybe it would actually seem normal. The cartoon obsessed men stared in judgement and scrutiny at the ‘Bendy and Friend’s’ pilot that played on the projector screen, trying to figure out what began to poke and prod at their senses. It must have been some sick, twisted feeling of morbid curiosity. “It’s her.” Sammy had said, eyes gazing intently at the animated movements of a character. Joey followed the man’s line of sight, eyes focusing in on a pointy eared fiend who looked to be involved with a mischevious prank once again. She, was a last minute character, that was animated and shoved into the pilot before any man could deny her placement. Of course a woman had created her, thinking it was acceptable to potray a female in such a male dominated position. Joey had, obviously, noticed the character the second she appeared. It wasn’t how Joey intended, which made his blood boil at the disobedient display of rebellion against society’s standards. He furrowed his eyebrows, his brain thinking of solutions to fix this atrocity. Women couldn’t be baseball players; it was simply unheard of, and if anything it was wrong. But there the character stood, in all her rebellious glory, carrying a bat over her shoulder and her head adorning a black cap. For some odd reason, Joey hadn’t even considered watching over the work of his animators. He didn’t think it would be such an issue, but now a woman (go figure) went and messed up the animation. He and many others disagreed with the notion of a woman’s right to expression which lead to this entire problem. But now, he knew what the problem was; why the animation seemed to be held from success. It was because of Heidei, a vile and unlady-like cartoon. At the thought of her, a wicked idea came to his mind, eyes lighting up with a shiny gleam of innovation. He had turned his head to Sammy in excitement. “I have a wonderful idea.” and with that, Lawrence’s face lifted with a deranged smile as Joey explained the sinister...experiment, you could call it.

Down in the basement of the studio, dust layered many of the surfaces. The dust could kickstart anybodies allergies if disrupted from it’s state of rest, causing an unnecessary amount of caution to be practiced by one of the people that made up the lone pair. Floorboards whined under the brief pressure of smooth dress shoes, holding all the weight applied to them. The footsteps continued and so did the insistent sounds of the old building, only stopping when the destination and shoe clad people met. With a click, light had flooded the occupied space of the basement and shone over the dust-coated machine. The men blinked at the sudden change of lighting and adjusted to it, moving towards the machine in question. This was the machine that had yet to be of use to anyone, and had taken up an area of the isolated basement for quite awhile. It was created with the purpose of bringing animations to life, which at first seemed far-fetched. At this point though, Joey was curious as to how the machine worked and was determined to find out. If it was able to function in the way that it was meant to, he was prepared for anything that may happen. He was so stuck on this idea, that he even had a sturdy room prepared to maintain his experiment that was located in a sealed off part of the studio. On the way down to the basement with Sammy, he had snatched a drawing of Heidei, the bat wielding elf, off of a table and clutched it in his hand until this point. He smoothed out the creases he created from his rough grip, putting it into some slot that would start the process. He began clicking a few buttons, and once done, he stepped back to Sammy’s side to admire the process in a childlike manner. It was quite the sight, seeing a possible life form be molded into an actual being. The sounds of ink splashing and the machine’s whirring drowned out the unintelligible groan that began to emerge from the inky form. Gradually, lanky limbs manifested and hung over the side of the machine’s flat surface. Gloved hands began twitching and twisting in a sign of discomfort at the sudden feeling of mobility that took hold of it’s body. The cartoon’s figure took on the emotion of disorientation, the thin body pushing itself up with a lot of effort. Pie cut eyes blinked warily, moving its head with an exaggerated, and animated, motion of shaking itself awake. Black hair fell to it’s shoulders, making it seem like a rather feminine character. Joey Drew refused to believe this...abomination..could even be considered a woman. Real women didn’t take men’s jobs, didn’t pull jokes on people and certainly didn’t have the rebellious attitude the elf character held. Joey set a glare on his face, staring straight into the eyes of Heidei, waiting for the creature to speak up. It’s eyes rose to meet his own, eyebrow quirking up in confusion. “Who the hell are you?” It muttered, a slight accent being heard from it’s snooty tone. “More like, who are you? Being so unlady-like? Ya know what? You can’t even be considered a woman.” Joey poked at it, criticizing the inky abomination that plagued his cartoon. His. Creation. A vague emotion that seemed to show irritation flickered across her face, turning to a full out snarl. “I’m a fuckin woman if ya couldn’t tell shit for brains, ‘n I sure as hell don’t need the likes of you to tell me I ain’t a real one.” Heidei hissed, beginning to raise from the ink covered platform to stand at her full height. She towered way above the two men, her shadow looming over the sad excuses of humans. “Well you’ve certainly got a mouth on you. You’re creative as well. Too bad.” Joey snapped angrily, not allowing the slight sense of fear bubbling in his stomach to show on his wrinkled face. Sammy watched the interaction, finding his voice and directing it to the creature that towered over them. “Ignore him. He’s not much of a ladies guy.” Sammy side eyed Joey, drawing Heidei’s attention on to himself. “Can you follow me to where you’ll be staying? I promise we won’t do anything to you.” He glanced up, finding a quizzical look on the elf’s face. “You were brought to life here, so you have a place to stay.” Attempting to reassure her, he prayed to the gods that she wouldn’t lash out. Luckily, the gods were on his side today, because she responded indifferently. “Alright then, lead the way ladies man.” She rose her eyebrow as she spoke, smirking viciously. She began following the steps of the slightly more tolerable man, throwing a glance behind her at the pig behind her. Men. She rolled her eyes with concealed agitation.

After following the rather handsome man, she was brought to a dim hallway with few working lights. It seemed to be in terrible condition just as the rest of the building. She tensed up, anxiety crawling up her chest and taking hold of her. She just wanted to be with her friends, to be with Bendy. She felt unsafe, in danger. Something was certainly wrong here. What even is this place? She hadn’t asked before because she had been to worried about the feeling of dread filling her to the brim, and now she was even more terrified. She took a breathe and held back her anxiety, her movements ceasing once she was lead to a heavy looking metal door. It looked like it was meant to contain something, something powerful. What could it have been for? Who else was here? Is bendy also in this building somewhere? If so, she’s gotta see him! At the simple thought of her friend, her face lit up, and her movements became care free and less rigid. While the two men thought it was strange, they thought nothing of it. The more distracted she is, the easier it is to trap her; only god knows how long it would contain her for. They hurried her into the room fast, swiftly shutting the door and using the bolts to lock it. They attempted to put in a piece of wood between the handle and wall to prevent her possible escape. They tried to be quiet while doing so, but their attempts were futile. Once Heidei had realized the door had shut, she was catapulted out of her dream world and met with a face full of door. From the sounds that erupted on the other end, she could only guess that they were locking her in. Why were they doing that? She isn’t dangerous- she didn’t ask to be born. What the hell do they think they are doing? Her voice shook with fury, her eyes no longer being able to hide the anxiety and rage that swelled in her entire being. “...What the fuck do ya pigs think you are doing?” She quivered in disbelief, finding herself pressed up against the strong glass that seperated her from the dimly lit halls. Her cartoonish gaze was illuminated, the eerie mood making her appear that much more terrifying. The sound of her voice drove the insane men into fear, gazing straight into soulless, pie cut voids.

“N-Nothing...” The younger, scrawnier man had spoken up, trying to diffuse the situation. He quaked in fear next to Joey, nearly pissing himself from the shock of her hindering gaze. “I thought you were a ladies man. Men are ‘posed to be chivalrous. Seems ta me you like ta lie...certainly don’t act like a man .” The inky black eyes gazed harshly, making Sammy begin to cower further. Joey next to him wasn’t in any better condition, fumbling with the wooden board he tried to insert between the door and the lock. He never took his eyes off of the elf though, knowing she was a slick monster. “Now. awnser. me...who the hell do you think you hotshots are, huh?” Ink began dripping from her fingertips, showing how serious she was with her interrogation. “Samuel and Joey! We work here! Joey’s the creator of the show you are on and he calls all the shots-“ Sammy’s panicked blubbering was shut down with a slap to his arm roughly, Joey’s low voice hissing a ‘fool’ as the new found information sunk into Heidei’s brain. She narrowed her eyes, zeroing in on the walking mid-life crisis, curiousity sparking to life. “What do you plan to do to me? To the show?” she questioned, tilting her head from the glass and ink beginning to seep back into her fingertips. “I plan to do nothing to you or with you. I...experimented to see if the ink machine really worked. You weren’t even supposed to be in the cartoon to begin with. Some measly woman sneaked it in...” he muttered the ending, seeming to forget that she could hear everything, even his fast heartbeat. She grit her teeth, the anger coming back all at once. How dare he speak of her creator in such a disgusting way? He was in no place to judge, seeing as everyone below him had to do all the work. “I. am. ALIVE. I am not an EXPERIMENT, and I will not let you run your filthy mouth!” Gloved fists pounded against the resilient glass, showing the extent of the creatures anger. Ink dripped down her rapidly, somehow not staining the white baseball uniform that she wore. She looked even more deranged than the pair, her sharp teeth grinding against each other in uncontained fury. Joey’s fast breathing intensified, hands scrambling to lock the door. His eyes darted up to glare at the elf and back down to his hands. At last, he lodged the heavy board between the door and lock, bouncing backwards anxiously. He knew they would be in danger if they could not get away fast, so he took to running for the hills. He immeadiatly grabbed Sammy’s arm, pulling the both of them out of the way and down the hall, the echoing of pounding fists travelling throughout the studio.


	2. Loss

Ever since Joey and Sammy had experimented that night, the thought of the elf escaping made them shake in their boots. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t scary, in fact, she was an 8 foot tall monster that could break them with one swipe of her hand. They were scared, yet they knew it wouldn’t be easy for her to get out. She didn’t have as much strength as she tried to give off, because it didn’t take a genius to see the way that her legs wobbled and how hands twitched in grotesque ways when she first rose from the machine. She’s in pain, discomforted by her arrival, and even if she was angered she would have to figure out a way to maintain the strength she does hold. 

Joey wasn’t too worried about her being in poor condition, mostly because he didn’t care about her. Them disappearing so swiftly didn’t make her screaming and pounding cease- oh no, quite the opposite. She would do it non stop, curses and threats being thrown loudly that traveled throughout the studio daily. It eventually died down to just the room shaking from her relentless fists. She figured out on her own that no one would hear or care about her. That thought made her chest tighten, and tears well up in her eyes. The rumbling of the studio wouldn’t even be enough reason for some filthy human to be concerned. She wanted to cause chaos for the way she was locked up, ignored and blamed for her creation. 

It wasn’t fair, she knew it wasn’t, and she could also guess that Sammy knew it wasn’t either. He had been the nicer of the pair, despite locking her up for however long. He didn’t seem all that bad and that fact just made her blood boil. She knew Joey Drew was responsible for his antics, for the fear and the endless devotion and loyalty that was carved in Sammy’s mind. He was using him, that much was obvious even in her short time of being a sentient being. Her observations had her craving freedom badly, and if not freedom, Bendy. She yearned for him and the rest of her friends, to be happy and care free again. She didn’t like this place, not one bit, and her gut told her that this place wasn’t only the place of her upbringing, but it would also be the downfall of others to come. 

The feeling of helplessness gripped her in its embrace, the reality of the situation setting in. She didn’t know what she had done to deserve this- and she didn’t even know where the hell she was. As her thoughts spiraled, a thought occured to her. She hadn’t seen any other being like her nor the signs of one. So that must mean...The realization hit her. This protective room wasn’t made for anyone else like she had first thought, and it wasn’t made to even protect her. It was made for her all along, which meant she truly was an experiment. Her isolation was no random idea, it was intended. 

Her capture was all Sammy meant by a ‘place for her to stay’, and she was created in this place to be trapped in it. She was considered a threat, a nuisance. Simply because she was a progressive cartoon created by another woman. If you asked her, she actually felt worse for her creator, more than anybody else. She seeked representation in a cartoon because the real world lacked any for her. It made her sad, the kind of sad that overpowered any common sense and suffocated a person. 

The longer she was left to herself to think of all the depressing things that surrounded her, the lonelier she became. She wanted someone to talk to, or to simply hear a voice. She didn’t want to be alone, and isolated. She hadn’t done anything wrong to deserve this treatment- only being forced to be born, going crazy from the never ending silence that shrouded the basement. Part of her wondered if anybody above ground cared for who she was and the personality she carried, seeing as her creation couldn’t have only caused outrage. There’s two sides to everything, especially on the topic of a woman’s position. People definetly exist that are just like Joey, but are there good ones too? Ones that applauded the progressive thinking of individuals and provided a safe space for people that couldn’t make their voice heard? The fact that people weren’t as open minded as the toons made her feel crestfallen.

Time would be hard to pass now that she understood that none of her friends were around. Within the same time frame, another issue faced her. If none of her friends were around, then why was there a feeling of someone looking at her? Who else knew she was down here? This nagged at her mind, causing her to look up through the glass. All she could see was darkness until she looked closer. A figure of a person stood there, pressed against the glass and staring her down. Heidei gathered her strength, pushing herself up and standing cautiously. From this angle she could see better, spotting wide eyes paired with round glasses looking up at her tall form. They seemed to be some variation of a pretty blue, long lashes casting shadows over sharp cheekbones. It was a woman, based on her appearance, and she looked frazzled by the movement of the cartoon. Cute. 

Heidei raised an eyebrow, moving closer to the glass and grinning, bending to meet the eyes of the pretty woman. “Whatcha lookin at toots? See somethin ya like?” This sudden questioning must of snapped the woman out of her trance, drawing a shriek from her lungs and frantically backing up towards the wall. “W-what are you? How are you moving!?” These series of questions made something piece itself together in Heidei’s mind. Based on the messy ponytail the woman adorned, and the ink smudged on her cheek, she seemed to be an animator that works at this studio. She must be the ‘measly woman’ Joey spoke of. Her creator. This made a frown set itself up on her pasty white face, creases forming.

She was very shaken, so she must of stumbled down here in an attempt to hide from something. Or someone. “Well if ya really wanna know, I’m Heidei!” She pointed at herself and smirked confidently. “I’m a livin, breathin toon brought to life in this lovely studio by your beloved Joey Drew!” Heidei’s voice dropped as the vile name passed her lips, tone quickly being brought back up as to not scare the woman off. Fear would be no help during this interaction, that much Heidei knew. The woman that stood before her, slowly ceased her shaking, curiousity swimming in her eyes.

“Why are you locked in there?” She gestured towards the metal guarded room, observing what she could see from her stance. It seemed awfully small for the...stature of Heidei. “As I said, Drew rose me from ink and locked me in.” An angry aura passed through the room, grabbing the woman by suprise once again. “How are you moving? I only created you as a drawing...” Her confusion hadn’t let up once, not since she took one look at the moving being and decided to speak to her. “Joey didn’t like that you put me in the cartoon and decided to run his filthy mouth to me! Me of all people! The balls on that guy I swear...” Heidei muttered towards the end of her sentence, crossing her arms in disbelief and scoffing. 

The shorter woman processed the new information. “...In the cartoon? I didn’t put you in the-“ The nameless woman stopped herself, eyes narrowing at the realization. “I think Joey’s got you and himself confused. I didn’t do anything- I ain’t even allowed to touch the work, let alone add my own shit to it. The only person I showed your design was-“ She froze, closing her eyes and sighing deeply. Heidei, unaware of the truth, was confused. If this woman created her design wasn’t allowed to do anything- who put her in the show? Was there really a man that willingly added her in, that had progressive thinking? “Who is it? Who did this to me?” Heidei seethed, ink dripping from her arms. She desperately wanted to find someone to blame, even though she knew it was unfair.

Whoever did it to her, brought her to life and allowed her mobility, happiness. Friends. “My friend, Henry Stein. He had made a joke about adding you in to the cartoon, but I didn’t actually think he’d do it. He’s been the most supportive one in this old studio- perhaps the most kind. I think...” The woman sighed, scrunching her face up. “I think he believed you should have a chance. Like me. I made you because I thought if I had someone relate to, it would have to be someone that had characteristics of me. I guess I caused more harm to you than any other just by showing Henry your design...” She tilted her face down, shame enveloping her whole and making her sniffle. Panic took over the anger and struck Heidei briefly, the concept of humans grief not crossing her mind until now. “What’s your name?” 

The woman tilted her head, gazing at the sentient being. “Margot...” She didn’t know why this information was needed, seeing as she basically bound her own creation to suffering for however long she may live. “Margot.” Heidei tested the name out, the name allowing a warm wave of tranquility to pass through her inky veins. She kneeled in front of the glass, beckoning Margot to stand in front of her, being at eye level with the shorter woman. Heidei hesitantly lifted her hand and placed it against the glass. “I’m not...mad at you. Just a little disappointed!” Heidei joked, cracking a silly grin at the woman. Margot rolled her eyes and smiled at the cartoon’s bad timing for jokes, the trait so similar to her own. 

“Seriously. I’m not mad at you, doll. Your strength to show someone your work despite the time period you live in, is brave. If you hadn’t shown Henry my design...I would have never met the rest’a the toons. I certainly wouldn’t have met you either.” Heidei smiled a genuine smile, watching Margot’s reaction at her kind words. Her eyes watered, a hand being moved from her side and placed against Heidei’s own, the glass not preventing the warmth from seeping through. “You don’t deserve this...this place.” Margot murmured, guilt weighing her down. “I don’t think anybody does Margot. For sure ya don’t, ‘cause you provided me with a bit o’ company in this lonely basement.” Margot’s frown deepened at the toon’s sad confession, wanting nothing more than to help her out. Despite this, even she knew that the world wasn’t ready for a toon to be running free, let alone a bold one. “You should go doll, or ya gonna be caught. I don’t want Drew’s filthy hands reachin’ ya.” Heidei’s hushed voice travelled to Margot’s straining ears, causing the reality of the situation to crash down onto her. She nodded sadly, leaning back from the heartfelt moment to gain courage. A calm silence fell over the two, leading them to believe everything would be okay. Heidei’s ears only picked up on the sound of footsteps when Margot’s heartbeat slowed down.

“Too late.” 

Margot’s blood ran cold.

Before Heidei could blink, hands had grabbed ahold of Margot’s shoulders and jerked her back. “You shoulda never come down here you sad sack of shit...” Joey growled, one of his hands coming up to the short woman’s face and muffling her gasp. “Now you can’t leave. Not after you’ve seen this abomination...” Margot shook around, trying to lose the grip of the wrinkled man. She was fighting with all she had, and it wasn’t much. Heidei stood watching behind the window, her eyes dripping with black tears and fists suddenly hitting the glass in desperate attempts to get to her creator. Her friend. 

All that could be heard was the shouts of the women, Margot’s protest being incredibly clear among the two of then. Joey laughed, beginning to drag the thrashing woman away, keeping her nose and mouth covered with no mercy. The longer Margot’s airways were blocked, the faster her vision started to fail. Her limbs, that had gripped so tight and scratched so much to try and remove the sleazy hands from her body, became slack under the applied pressure. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head after a minute of struggling, and the last thing she saw before passing out was her friend’s frantic tears and the cracked ceiling.

Then darkness.


	3. The Destruction of the Studio: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *POSSIBLE TW* Mention of suicidal thoughts and tendencies

Life was a funny thing, throwing twists and turns in attempt to deter a person from succeeding. Sometimes, these incidents made a person stronger. They are said to either make or break a person; a lesson ingrained into the minds of those who were dealt a bad life. In all the time Heidei had been awake and aware, she experienced the agony of isolation and the loss of a friend from the second she was born. She struggled to recover consistently, nightmares of her inability to save Margot took over her mind and made her squirm in her restless slumber. This endless cycle went on for days, and for all she knew; months.

Her anxiety that was only supposed to be a simple warning sign, turned into a daily struggle. She feared being alone just as much as she feared becoming close to anyone that wandered. After all, Joey considered wandering to be a terrible sin. That was another thing; Joey. He didn’t scare Heidei, not at first, but as time went on all she could see when she closed her eyes was the harsh gaze of a man that considered her soulless. 

She could feel every drop of her ink that slid down her skin, the feeling of being watched had her on guard all the time. She knew in her mind that Joey didn’t care for her and that she was only feeling paranoia, but also acknowledged that he would torture anyone that became acquainted with her. He didn’t find her deserving of companionship, which was all she craved. She was so tired, so lonely and any spout of anger quickly died down. She was losing hope, and what’s worse was that it wasn’t even what Drew was attempting to do. Heidei had no idea how much time had passed, but she knew that her days began to blur together. 

She was becoming lifeless as those above the basement shuffled around, chatting excitedly like they hadn’t heard her screams; like Joey Drew wasn’t some monster that hated women and their opportunities. She swore, regardless of her physical and mental state, she would never stop hating him. She wouldn’t let that sicko break her spirit completely, not after how he took Margot away kicking and screaming. Heidei wasn’t sure what happened to her, assuming that Joey had killed her. He did say that people couldn’t live after seeing her, probably not wanting her existence to be known by the public. 

It infuriated her to be feel so helpless and bored, so much so that her when she thrashed around in a burst of anger and ended up cutting herself on a sharp edge of the door, the pain didn’t even register in her mind. All she paid attention to was the way her ink stitched itself back together. She was mesmerized and poked at her hand in wonder.

She could probably survive a lot of damage if thats how her skin reacted, which made another question arise among all the others that appeared. What else could her ink do? Her curiousity got the best of her, flexing her gloved fingers and trying to picture something to create. The first thing that came to mind was a pencil, making her try to force her ink to create the inanimate object. She wasn’t too sure it would work, only looking for someting to distract herself from the deafening silence.

To her suprise a small pencil began forming, the ink that clung to her arms slowly traveled to her hand. The droplets met each other, creating the shape of a pencil. It wasn’t quite the same based on the lack of color, but it would do. Heidei tapped the object, confirming that it was solid despite the liquid appearance. It occured to her that even making a simple pencil seemed to tire her out, and the ink didn’t want to stay in the shape it was molded to. She probably could prolong the time limit on objects she created if she practiced, and she could most likely increase the size over time. If she could increase the size, she might be able to form her bat. Now that would be something.

The thought had her grinning ear to ear, her lanky body vibrating in place. She was so excited; awed by her new found abilities. When she thought of how she should show Bendy, she instantly froze. 

He’s not here with you, 

her mind nagged bitterly. Heidei’s smile dropped at the realization and stumbled back. She slid down the wall and landed on the creaky floorboards, knees shaky and stretched before her. She was reminded of where she was trapped once again, and her happiness was short lived. She knew there wasn’t a way of getting out of this room, not without help. The only sound her pointy ears registered was the pounding of the ink that ran through her body, and her slow breathing.

She felt like she was underwater, drowning and just out of reach of a hand that offered itself. She wondered if she would ever escape, and what the world would hold for her. Would it be just like she thought- Bleak and terrible? Heidei didn’t want to face that if that was the reality; not alone. Her gaze trailed around the room, looking for something to stop her racing thoughts. She began thinking again, insistent thoughts on ending her life intruding. Heidei’s eyes darted to her unaffected hand that lay limp at her sides, cogs in her head turning. 

Based on how her ink would just put itself back together without missing a beat, it would probably be difficult for her to be killed. If that was the case, she really was condemned to suffering for all of eternity. It was a grim concept; spending her life behind a metal door. It had her pouting like a child, but somehow her anxiety didn’t have her rocking back and forth. The sad truth was finally setting in her mind, and with the last bit of energy her body held, she prayed to whatever god that was above with a quiet, “Please let me out...” leaving her lips. She sighed with finality and wrapped her lanky arms around herself, laying down and missing Bendy. Her mind was tired.

——-

When she found out her prayers would not be awnsered judging by the lack of change, her heart continued to break. So to distract herself from the hopelessness that tugged at her heart, she occupied herself by practicing with her abilities. They had certainly improved, her assumptions on the ways to progress her powers being proven right. During her free time, she gradually became able to increase the size of the objects and extend the life time of them. Yet, she was not at the level of making bigger objects like her bat. It made her proud of herself even despite her goal not being met, not feeling rushed to form new things. She had all the time in the world to learn especially since she wasn’t leaving anytime soon. 

The less attention that was paid to the room around her, the more it began to change. The first time she noticed something was wrong was when a drop of something hit her forehead. Her eyes had been closed before that point, but snapped open at the cold feeling that disrupted her rest. She lifted her hand to her head, wiping off the liquid that seemed to come from above. She furrowed her eyebrows, examining her finger. It was ink that had disturbed her, which she found strange considering the room she was in. 

She looked at the ceiling, attempting to find the access point in which the liquid came from. She knew it couldn’t have been from her, since any ink she left behind always came back to her. Her eyes couldn’t seem to spot the leak no matter how hard she tried to look. She rolled her eyes and scooted over, wanting to avoid being awoken again. Days down here were better blurred together and she wanted to keep it that way. 

The next incident was when she was sitting in silence, eyes wandering over the small space with bored pie cut eyes. There was nothing in the room for her to do, leading her to sigh with exasperation. It wasn’t just that this room was quiet and boring; but the entire area in which she was located. Nothing made a sound, with the exception of a custom bendy clock that ticked on the wall. Not even the room above her made a peep, leading her to believe something was amiss. The same feeling that bothered her before she was locked in this room overwhelmed her, her back straightening. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going horribly wrong right under her nose. This, was also the same time she noticed ink trailing down the walls. 

The third occurence happened a few days after the spook, her mind not quite over the fright it experienced which in result made her more on edge than usual. She, during that tome, gained a nervous habit of using her ink to create objects. It tended to happen whenever she was distracted by something, and the sounds that came from all around the studio served their purpose. It seemed like no one was present in the old building, but Heidei knew better. She could hear a heartbeat and some kind of clanking that echoed through the lonely halls. In all honesty, she was terrified and she wanted to avoid whatever trouble was brewing.

What the hell is going on here?


	4. The Destruction of the Studio: Part 2

The elf’s eyes traced the ceiling, catching the sight of lonely ink droplets falling from the room above her. The place was falling apart, and old age was setting. She swiveled her head to the left, glaring down the hall way that lead to some stairs. There had to be some way out of this room, and if there wasn’t, she would sure as hell make one. Heidei took in all the details, the suffocating silence around her and the mysterious sounds that came from the lower level made a terrifying pair. It made her shiver, full out fear settling in her stomach. She knew something was up with this place and if she had figured it out before Sammy had convinced her to follow him, she could of fought back. 

She pushed herself up, barely having the energy to stand to her full height, and forced herself to rise on tired legs. She needed her energy back, because this entire isolation gig had her fed up and exhausted. She faced the metal door and starting taking baby steps forward, her brain striving to convince her she would be in trouble if she even touched the entrance. At least she knew her mind was wrong this time, because it made stepping closer that much easier. 

Her hand ghosted across the cold metal, despising the feeling of it. She pushed away her disgust and examined the door closely, looking for any possible way to open it. She did not quite understand how it worked, only remembering the sounds from beyond the door that signified it being locked. Heidei, not finding anything out of the ordinary, sighed and gave up. Something would probably come to her mind at a later point, leaving her unbothered. She laid down like she had so many times before, facing the glass that kept her from freedom. Stupid.

——

Something did come to her mind, but it didn’t happen immeadiatly. Heidei did not know how much time had passed while she was stuck down in the studio, but she could guess over 10 years passed based on the gradual destruction of the room around her and the decrease in people. Luckily for her, the location of the room made it easy to hear information that was passed along, the complaints especially. 

She had learned that the ink that leaked from the ceiling was a result of the bursting pipes, and the people that knew of the reason blamed it on the ink machine. She remembered that name, but she hadn’t heard it in so long. It was said to be Joey’s idea to install many pipes to make ink flow easier, only ending up causing floods in the upper and lower levels. 

He was being reckless with the structure of the building and he certainly didn’t care for the inhabitants. Over time, people began also complaining about harassment from Sammy and health concerns by being surrounded by so much ink. All of those complaints were valid reasons to get Joey in trouble yet he remained untouched. That’s what made her angry, ink boiling at how many times he slipped past punishment for his poor management. 

The thing that really set her off was the day she found out the studio was being shut down for bankruptcy and health violations. In wake of this news, she realized she would be left behind, trapped with no one around to help. Her chest was constricted at the thought, barely containing her anxiety and rage. She was tired of never seeing light; of reliving the memory of Margot. 

She was sick of being helpless and she’d be damned if she would let herself be stuck in the tiny room. She, with no restraint, thrashed around and knocked papers and ink wells off of a lone table that was in the room. She grabbed at whatever she could and threw it around, aiming at the glass, her mind racing and searching for a way to get rid of her anger properly as her body forced her to sit and watch. She eventually quit throwing objects and resorted to hurling her body in to the window, losing control of her actions. She was going absolutely feral, insistent on something that was unknown even to her.

She began hearing a crack as her body thudded against the strong glass one time after another. She stopped herself after the hundreth time her body hit the glass with all the restraint she had left and looked at the cause of the sound. Heidei’s eyes trailed across cracks that formed. She looked closer and realized that the entire window was slowly cracking from her heavy weight, and her mood was lifted from the observation. It’s the little things that gave her happiness, and now; she was motivated. She was gonna get out! All she had to do was apply enough force, which probably means that she should use blunt objects that could cause more damage instead of slamming her shoulder against the same spot. 

She pondered for a second, eyes lighting up when an idea came to mind. Her bat! She was ecastic with the idea, thinking of how she could use it. Since she was so strong naturally, especially if she could use her powers properly, she could break out with her bat. She had not thought of destroying the glass considering for a long time she wasn’t strong enough to get out and only just found out her body was becoming stronger. She was not prepared to create her bat though, because her powers weren’t quite at that level yet. She had to learn fast if she wanted to get out, which made her determined with her escape.

She was gonna leave the small room behind.

——

Heidei had trouble with forming her bat due to its larger shape, meaning she would have to have a lot of control over the weapon. Gradually as time went on, she was able to make it but the process itself ended up tiring her rather quickly. This annoying revelation made her roll her eyes, persisting in strengthening the power over her ink. After all, she wanted to get out really badly. 

But she desired to see Bendy more than anything else. She missed him greatly, and her remembrance of their seperation always brought tears to her pie cut eyes. Now that she thought about him and how she missed him so, she also wondered how she was capable of feeling all that she did. It didn’t seem like a normal situation for a cartoon to be brought to life, at least not in the outside world. How did she function exactly like humans if she didn’t need to eat to survive but still craved sleep as one would? It confused her greatly and yet still gave her a sense of pride to at least classify as a living being. 

She knew wondering would only leave her with more questions, so she decided to clear her mind and focus on the task at hand. It had been a bit since she discovered an escape method, and she had been working diligently to get what she wanted the most from that point on. No use in sitting by idly when she could get her revenge on Joey. Her hand’s curled, positioning themself in a way a bat would be held. She pictured the weight in her hand, eyes lost in imagining the familiar weapon. 

Her eyes shut tightly, ink being shaped underneath her fingertips. Soon after the feeling passed her fingers, a sold object had morphed from the ink. It ran to to her raised hand, the feeling being so familiar to her mind. She opened her eyes, scanning the inky bat that she created. It was sleek in appearance just as the other things she made, and it was heavy considering the size. It had recognizable features among the liquid, and the sight her ecastatic. She looked up to the glass, eyes brightening at the image of smashing the glass.

She stepped toward the window, moving her body and holding the bat comfortably in her gloved hands. She focused, bringing the bat back and swinging forward, hearing a crack sound from the place of impact. She removed the bat out of the way, seeing a dent forming and cracks spreading in every direction. Her eyes narrowed, pulling the bat backwards in the repeated pattern. Her hands swiftly  
propelled the bat into the glass, the impact shattering the window from the added strength. Little pieces of glass flew in her direction, slivers leaving small temporary cuts in her arms. 

Heidei walked towards the jaggedly cut glass, peeking from the large hole that was made.

It was so close, and not so far.


	5. The World Outside: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter- but it’s leading to something else ❗️

Her experience with the world beyond her room were not all she had expected. Quite honestly, she believed she would walk into a more lively atmosphere compared to her small prison. She found herself to be mistaken; for the studio was completely devoid of life with the exception of muffled whispers. Old pipes creaked and ink dripped down from the walls, pooling at her shoe clad feet.

This wasn’t what she had hoped for. It was a suffocating, intrusive thought. She was left disappointed at the lack luster sight she was presented. By now her bat had deformed and the ink was summoned back to her skin, but she could do nothing of her rising fears. Heidei wrapped her lanky arms around herself, gloved fingers pinching her arm in a weak attempt to wake up from the nightmare. She winced from the squeeze; yet nothing changed. She was faced with the same abandoned studio, hope diminishing fast. 

She tried to imagine what Joey had done to the place, face scrunching up at the thought of him. The sounds she heard from her lonely little room were enough evidence as to what happened, but her knowledge wasn’t helping her cope any better. Heidei shuffled forward, eyes trailing over the unstable wooden workspaces that littered the halls. Her long strides carried her down the inky halls, feet stopping at a tall, arched entrance. She gazed in wonder, processing the blocky writing scrawled far from her and across the aging wood. 

Heavenly Toys.

‘What the hell?’ Heidei pondered, looking at the scattered objects. Toys. They appeered quite strange, propped against any open space and pristine looking. She took a step forward into the abandoned room, pie cut eyes catching sight of a few misplaced cut outs. She squinted hard, eyes widening at the familar devilish face. Bendy! He didn’t belong here- not like this. Something felt off, staring straight into her friend’s eyes as ink dripped from the ceiling. The floorboards creaked as she peered closer, ears twitching in paranoia. 

Her gaze broke, a low guttural sound echoing from behind her. With widened eyes, she turned around slowly and dragged her eyes up a tall, lanky form. She gasped, spotting a wide smile that looked more like a grimace. She took a few steps back, trying to find a way out. He looked way stronger, faster than herself and she knew she could not get away from him easily. She took a deep breathe, and made her slack hand curl into a fist. She focused hard, fingertips grazing over a inky surface.

Heidei grit her teeth, shifting to hold onto her bat better. “What the fuck are you?” She was terrified, she didn’t want to die. Not now; she had only just gotten free. She raised her arms, swinging forward as a deformed hand reached out towards her menacingly. The weapon cracked violently against the monster, the force enough to knock him backwards. When it had fallen back, it stayed in its place looking stunned and slow in the head. It only tilted it’s head, the tail attached to the beast twirling curiously. It was confused- but Heidei couldn’t give two flying fucks. She swiftly maneuvered around the creature and scampered out of the room and down the hall frantically. What the hell was she thinking!? 

She slapped herself, disbelief taking over. What made her hit that monster? Now the thing is probably mad and plotting her death as she stands in place dumbfounded. She didn’t have long to regret her decisions as she was tugged downwards and out of her stupor. She shrieked, kicking out her legs to lose hold of the wretched creature that had grabbed ahold of her. She turned frantically to get a better look, only to see the exact opposite of the original monster. Inky hands sprouted from a similarly inky torso, the face of the thing stuck in a grimace. It groaned and lurched forward, trying to devour her whole. 

Heidei panicked, feeling hands begin to grab her from all directions. She was being overwhelmed and reduced to a quivering mess. “Get off me! FUCKING HELL!” She was angry, filthy hands trying to swallow her. Her mind raced, body debating her flight or fight senses. She grinded her sharp teeth together and narrowed her eyes. She refused to die. Heidei jerked her upper body forward with the newfound strength, arms breaking free of the inky prison. She reached forward, tearing the slick hands off her legs and growling in rage. Nobody touches her, especially not some soulless piece of shit. She wrapped her hands around the thing’s neck and pulled the head from it’s quickly melting body. 

She stumbled up, spinning around to handle the oncoming abominations. Stomping forward, she brought her foot down on the creatures, smashing them like the bugs they were. She repeated the action, chest heaving from the exertion. Once her surroundings calmed down and became more clear, she could calm her own racing head. She was now covered in ink, the unfamiliar feeling of some other thing’s cold liquid chilling her to the very core. Never again. She questioned if she should go back to the basement and set up her own place- paranoid of being caught offguard again. With much debate, she had made up her mind and decided to drag herself down to the basement, back to that wretched room. ‘At least I can get out this time’ She thought.


	6. The World Outside: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting of old Friends and new Foes.

Over the span of a few years, Heidei had begun to become used to the mindless things that wandered the halls. She had also learned a few things- like ink has memory. Metaphorically and literally, she discovered. It was quite easy for her ink to remember the exact way her bat was formed, but this also applied to the living beings within the creaky studio. Many monsters lurked in the studio, and it was clear that she was climbing her way up the food chain. The wanderers- as she called them, avoided her most of the time if she were to walk in their vicinity. This came with exceptions of course, because it seemed the wandering became more lost and confused as time went on. 

Heidei felt sad for them, because they seemed so life like- full of despair and sorrow that wouldn’t be chased out of their hearts no matter the miracles of life. She still had a dislike for them, memories bubbling up in her mind and flowing out her eyes. She cried a lot. For the lost souls, for her dear friend Margot, for the man that brought her to life. Bendy.

Thinking of him made Heidei cry without restraint due to the sad reality. Not only did she learn of ink’s memory, but she learned of the monster’s identity. He ruled the studio, the ink, and would drag any living creature through ink. It was Bendy, but not really him. The small devil was no longer a toon, but a beast that knew where every creature was in the studio. Nobody in the place could hide forever, because he would eventually find whoever he wished. If you had territory though, he typically stayed away. 

He was evil incarnate, but he was also alive. He only tampered with those that waltzed on his territory and lurked for too long, which is exactly what Heidei learned to avoid doing. She had built up her own territory over time, residing in the basement and mourning for her friends. Not just Margot or Bendy, but Boris and Alice as well. The first time she encountered Boris, was a lifeless torn up copy of him. It was grotesque and made her tear up. He was such a nice wolf, that would never do a thing to harm a fly. Alice, on the otherhand, would be very up to the task. Unlike her intended persona, she became sick with jealousy and and tore up the beings that inhabited the studio just like her. She used any ink she could to achieve beauty, further hurting herself. 

Heidei had grown unsure of how to feel about the current Alice due to these issues. She despised her for hurting Boris, but also missed her old friend and wished she had not been terrorized by Joey. She would not hesitate to mask this emotion though, because she would become a target if she showed she cared. She was already a target considering her influence was spreading fast, but it would be worse if she gained more attention.

Another thing she encountered while living in the decaying building was a monster with a projector head. It sounded and looked even stranger to her eyes, but it was true. It roamed the halls and guarded its territory strictly. It was dangerous and slow, but not very good at finding the hidden. The only time it could see was if it’s blasted light shone over an subject of interest. Heidei had avoided it thus far, not being able to figure out the intentions of said monster or its strength. She wasn’t keen on being snatched and ripped to pieces from a vile thing.

Despite these crushing thoughts and her surroundings, she continued forward, one foot after the other. She couldn’t give up, not with her stubborness weighing on her conscience. She did nothing but wander constantly, eyes gazing over the same old cracked walls and leaking pipes. She enveloped herself with slack arms, craving a new type of scenery. She was too lost in her thoughts to notice the incoming voices from afar. She flicked her eyes upward at some point, loud floorboards and questioning voices heading in her direction. She panicked, quickly melting into the rest of the ink to hide from the intruder’s view. Who the hell would visit an abandoned studio? Do they even know the danger they are in? 

She peeked from where she rest, watching a brave pair of individuals stride towards her position and past her. She had a fear of them; of people like them. Joey was so similar in their mannerisms, walking into danger without caring and taking what he wanted. She followed them quietly, a strange fondness welling up in her stomach. Why? She didn’t know why either-but their presence felt so familiar despite the fact that she had no idea who they were. She listened closely, trying to pick out any mention of a nickname. 

She did eventually hear terms of endearment from them, but it still confused her greatly. Henry? Mar? Why is every man named Henry? And why does that nickname sound familiar to her ears? She pondered on it, thinking back to all the people she had ever met. 

Joey. Margot. A man named Henry.

She stopped in her tracks, body less in a solid form and more of a liquid trail. She felt cold all over, terror striking her. They shouldn’t be here, not at this time. If they worked here- Bendy would definetly remember them. If he remembered them, that means...

Shit. They were gonna get killed. If her assumption was correct; the man named Henry was an animator that added her to the show only to shortly leave after that. Her heart weeped, filled with pain but also joy. The woman on the otherhand, must be her Margot, and that didn’t make much sense to Heidei’s mind. The last time she saw Margot was around 30 years ago- and she had assumed Joey had killed her. Apparently not, because she was walking and talking perfectly fine. Heidei was undecided on how she felt- but she knew for sure that she had to help them get out. If she did that- she was in a lot more danger. There wasn’t any way for her to get out of this with some harm done, but she didn’t much care. 

She focused hard, watching every movement they made. She was not confident in how she would approach them- because they would probably panic no matter what. She had to do it somehow but decided to lay low until they would need her protection. Call her a coward, but she’d rather be seen saving them than approaching them simply because she could. Heidei acknowedged she was intimidating just standing still so startling them wouldn’t be hard. She sighed internally, glaring at the floor beneath their feet.

It sucked hiding from them, especially when they were the first people to stumble into the studio in over 10 years. Her heart ached from the solitude, leading her to make a loud sigh that she didn’t keep in check. She realized her mistake, watching Margot and Henry twist around quickly, bodies alert from the sound. Margot raised an eyebrow, stepping forward closer to Heidei’s safe haven. 

No.

This isn’t good- she was gonna be found and she would only scare them off. She could only hide herself so much, and if someone looked close at the ink puddle they could see her animated features clearly. Margot squinted at the source of a noise, the gross substance that filled up the studio contained many things- she had come to learn. She gazed for a long time into the void, finally spotting a quivering form. Her eyes widened, jerking back in suprise. 

“Heidei!?”

A head popped out of the ink, an uneasy smile plastered on porcelain skin. A heavy silence blanketed the room, causing Heidei to swuirm. “Uh...Heya!” Her eyes examined the two humans, wondering if they would run. She desperately hoped not, wanting to avoid them wandering too far into the scary building. She made eye contact with Henry, only offering him a nod. He too, was stunned from her appearance. Heidei expected it- the idea of drawings coming to life being so confusing. She bounced back to the thought of Margot, tilting her head down and making intense eye contact with her old friend. 

“How long’s it been? 30 years?” Heidei joked, cracking a genuine smile. She raised her arms from the liquid and pushed herself up, pale arms flexing from the effort. She stumbled out of the ink, lanky form rising to the ceiling. She was terrifyingly tall to the pair, making her slap her hand ovet her face and drag it down exasperated -ly. She forced herself to get down on one knee, being much closer to their heights than before. 

“...How- how did you get out of that room?” Margot’s shaky voice spoke up, her heart seeming to calm down from the shock. “Simple. I bust out!” Heidei grinned mischievously. “Dumb old Joey couldn’t keep me in there forever..” She was triumphant, but still angered at the thought of her isolation. She pushed it away, turning to ask the pair questions. “Now for the real questions. What are you two doing here? It’s dangerous!” 

“Joey sent a letter saying to come here- the both of us. But we couldn’t find him when we first got here.” Henry had his turn in speaking, a raspy voice escaping his mouth. Heidei grimaced, hoping they were joking. They weren’t though- their faces were serious and set on that truth. “You are in danger being here. Things like me are in this place, but the others aren’t as merciful as me. You have to get out of here now; c’mon-“ She stood to her full height, motioning for them to follow her. But they stayed in place, faces downcast. “We tried to get out earlier- but the door was locked. We can’t get out even if we want to...” Margot sighed, pulling herself from the ground. 

“Fuckin’ hell..that’s not good. That’s fuckin’ terrible! Just GREAT!” Heidei growled, throwing gloved hands into the air in disbelief. Just their luck- being stuck in a place like this. She turned towards them, taking a deep breathe and leading them in a new direction. “I have somewhere we can go where we can all be safe-but we have to get there quickly and quietly. I’m not the only thing in these halls right now..” She murmured, nodding her head down the hall. “C’mon.” 

She creeped forward, hoping they would follow.

Henry and Margot looked at each other suspiciously, deciding to follow the giant down the hall. The worst part about this place, Heidei thought, was the inability to completely avoid projector head. It was essentially blind to anything else that wasn’t surrounded by light, and could only hear so much. It didn’t make it less intimidating though despite these factors. As the trio lurched forward, Heidei questioned them. “What are you two doing down here?” She looked back at them expectantly, raising an eyebrow. “We had to gather ink hearts from here- Alice told us to.” Henry spoke nonchantly, making Heidei’s ink run cold. “..Alice?” 

That DEFINETLY isn’t good. She knew how dangerous that shit is, yet she bribed them with freedom in exchange for completing tasks. “You guys gotta be ready then ‘cause those hearts belong to a vile monster down here..” She was unsure if she should allow them to be tricked by Alice, but convinced herself to stay out of it. “We gotta!” Margot exclaimed enthusiastically, determined. While this was a nice change of pace, it wasn’t so nice when a light flicked onto them. The inhumane thing stood tall, running toward the trio.

The elf’s eyes widened, propelling backwards. “FUCK! You have to get around him- go hide in those stations and I’ll distract him! Run and collect the hearts when you can.” She lowered herself, pie cut eyes staring the thing down. She could hear the quick breaths of the humans fade away along with footsteps, swiftly preparing to run. “HEY MOTHERFUCKER! Come get me you freaky bastard!” She snickered, sprinting backwards as the walking projector chased after her. She was in danger- and she had to figure something out.

Fast.


	7. Of Monsters and Men: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *TW* for brief mentions of suicidal thoughts! stay safe

Heidei’s thoughts raced, fear consuming her. This entire thing was a terrible idea- she was now being hunted by a freak with a fucking PROJECTOR HEAD! Seriously!? Of all things to be chased by, it was just her luck to be chased by this abomination. Her legs ran faster that her mind, not paying attention to the floor beneath her feet. She made distance, gradually escaping the monster, its roars fading away the further she got. She slowly stopped and bent over, breathing in and out. While she wasn’t like humans with lungs- she still got tired very easily. It was a wonder she could still function without collapsing from overexertion. She adjusted herself after a moment, standing to her full height and turning around. She walked back towards the beast with slight hesitance. She had to distract the thing longer, not just temporarily, and she knew only she could protect her creators.

She walked back into the monster’s sight once more, yelling out into the darkness for all to hear. “C’mon! I don’t think I’m quite done messing with you!” She chirped with malice, pointing at herself with a grin. She sank down as the monster looked at her, becoming one with the ink. This seemed to be the way to go, but she hadn’t been thinking before. She had only wanted to let her friends escape from the projector. The thing she had hidden from growled and began searching for her tricky self, being teased by the sly voice calling out. “What’s the use in projecting your childhood trauma onto me?” She practically sang with cruelty, rising her head from the ink to smirk at the giant. It’s light flickered toward her, feet pounding towards her position. 

She delved back into the depths, swimming through the ink and behind the monster. Heidei was having fun with messing with the monster, becoming more sadistic the longer she teased it. She reached out, curling her hand and gripping the disfigured foot and tugging hard. 

It landed with a thud, a loud keen sounding from it’s head. She hummed, crawling out of the ink and onto the monster with sly intent. “Should’ve left this studio before you became this way..” Heidei laughed, bring back her arm and forming a fist with her hand. “Light’s out buddy boy!” She brought her fist down onto the things head and smashed the projector’s light. She supposed she blinded the thing by her actions, but she didn’t much care. It cried out from the destruction of its vision, beginning to convulse. “Y’know, we coulda gotten along if you weren’t such a freaky dick.” 

She tilted her head in thought and sat up, suddenly snapped out of her stupor. It occurred to her that she hurt the same thing that had been taken advantage of by Joey, and it made her start to tear up. She stayed frozen in shock and tried with all her might to process what she had just done. She forced herself up with a jolt and guilt began to choke her up. She sniffled and brought a hand to wipe her eyes insistently, starting to shuffle away from the whining being. She looked back at the squiriming projector, a frown covering her face. She wasn’t proud of how she acted, and she knew she could have avoided that if she tried. Maybe she wasn’t so merciful after all?

Somehow she felt more terrible about the encounter than the thought of the monster killing her.

Her heart felt heavy as she trudged on, looking for her friends. The projector wouldn’t be near them anytime soon even if it wanted to be- it was blind and scared of it’s more clever counterpart. Heidei was sure that it wasn’t a good thing- she never wanted to hurt anybody even if they hurt her. She had watched herself from behind her own eyes harm the creature more than she needed to- in fact, she didn’t even need to hurt it at all. Now it was blind and damaged because of her, and it made her terribly sad. Her sniffling refused to cease, a few tears leaking from her pie cut eyes. She wanted to protect people, to not be like Joey. To torture and hurt people was to be a cruel, evil and inhumane.

She wanted to be real so badly, to be a human. Adopting human like traits and being paired with a ‘girl power’ persona really messed with someone like her. Being aware meant being vulnerable, and she had been this way ever since she was brought to life. Now she wished she had never been given that opportunity, and she wished it bad. She wasn’t even sure she could die; despite attempting coming to mind, she didn’t do anything. So she thought, ‘might as well suffer for the rest of eternity’. Heidei rolled her eyes at the unpleasant idea, still having a deep set frown upon her face. What a bummer.

She examined the hall, hearing faint splashes sound from around the corner. She cautiously walked towards the corner, only peeking around when the noise calmed down. She squinted in the dim lighting, catching sight of her friends crouched behind some poorly made wall. They weren’t doing a good job at hiding, if that was what they were trying to do. She sighed with relief and walked towards them, forcing her face to set into a smile. No use worrying them, after all.

“What are ya doin’? Hiding doesn’t seem to be the right term.” She crossed her arms and nagged them, appearing rude but only joking. “We got the hearts we needed, and we wanted to wait for you. We got worried..” Henry looked up at her, offering a trusting smile. It took Heidei by suprise, a soft and small expression spreading across her features from the small act of kindness. “No need to worry, I’m alright. See?” She spun in a little circle and forced her hands in the air, giving a little presentation of her body’s state. He chuckled with a nod and stood up, putting a hand out for Margot to take. Margot took it and dusted herself off, like she could somehow get rid of the stained ink. Heidei rolled her eyes at the pointless action, but disregarded it. 

“C’mon, lets get you two back to the elevator.” Heidei waved them over, already way ahead of them. Hopefully they would be safe along the way, because Heidei isn’t sure if she’d be able to protect her friends without some losses along the way. Nothing could go wrong, right?


	8. Of Monsters and Men: Part 2

She was so wrong in her assumption that nothing could go wrong- in fact, it was a naive thought that she wouldn’t have normally considered. Everything went wrong. Of course the journey to the elevator went smoothly, and so did boarding it. What she didn’t expect when they arrived to the contraption was to see an old friend standing in the corner, seemingly waiting for Margot and Henry. 

She had let out a tiny gasp, heartbeat quickening at the sight. “Boris!” She cried out, slamming the door open and pouncing towards him. She missed him so much- and she hadn’t even known he was still alive. There must have been multiple copies of him, but this one seemed the most life like. He was the same silent, but more scared than anything, Boris. He was expressive even without much movement and no speech which seemed so much like him. She had him in a tight embrace, not even noticing the closing of the doors and descent of the elevator. Heidei pulled back reluctantly, still smiling.

Tears streamed down her face as she took in the view of her dear friend. While he was quiet, he had a look to him, like he missed her just as much. He brought his hands up to her face and cradled it, thumbs swiping tears from her cheeks. She kept her hands gripped on his shoulders, leaning into his touch. She knew he would talk if he could, but she was just at peace with his silent comfort. She let go of him and smiled, turning to face her two other friends. 

She was caught off guard when she turned, seeing them standing in the door way of the elevator, looking out towards the far side of the room. She hadn’t even noticed the descent and arrival of the lift, which was strange in itself. She must of been more distraught than she had thought. Heidei questioned their own strange behavior, only realizing that they were staring at Alice’s lair; their destination. She gulped and stepped forward.

“Do..do you really have to go give her those hearts?” She was terrified for them, a feeling of sickness swallowing her. Her breaths were labored and her gut twisted. Something bad was going to happen, but she didn’t know how, or why, or even when. All she knew was that this place set off every red flag in her mind. Her instincts told her to run for the hills but she still stood frozen in place, watching her friends decide their fate. Margot locked gazes, firmly nodding.

“We have to. We came this far, might as well finish it.” She was determined, Heidei couldn’t deny that. Still, a weight sat on her shoulders and showed very obviously on her face. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. It’s a simple exchange and then we can get out like you wanted us to.” Margot smiled hopefully, patting Heidei on the shoulder. She left the safety of the lift with Henry, confidently heading forward into Alice’s domain. The doors closed behind them naturally, blocking the two ink beings from harm. Heidei was nagged by her worried thoughts, hoping they would make it back safe.

She watched them go up the stairs and place the ink hearts in the drop box and leave the area, waltzing back towards the two cartoons. The second they entered the elevator, the loudspeakers crackled with a new intensity. A sickly sweet voice began speaking, striking Heidei with immeadiate fear and disgust. How Alice became such a disgusting liar was beyond herself, and she sat on edge waiting for hell to end. She wished Alice was treated better, to not be so hell bent on the past. When she finally tuned into the familiar voice and threw herself out of her thoughts, her stomach dropped. The voice...it was yelling, and it was angry.

“GIVE ME HIM! GIVE ME BORIS! HE’S MINE AND NEED HIM! I’LL KILL YOU AND YOUR DISGRACE OF A PROTECTOR TOO IF I HAVE TO!” Alice screamed with rage, forcing the elevator to drop down fast. It was rapidly approaching ground level, and Heidei could feel it intensely. She was panicking, grabing hold of Boris and pulling her two other friends closer. She forced them to the ground and hovered over them protectively. She knew if that she was knocked out- the least she could do was prevent them from being moved by Alice. She grabbed Boris by the hand and squeezed tightly, wishing the torture would stop.

When the elevator slammed into the ground, Heidei was knocked out from the force. The last thing she saw was her friends panicked look. Then darkness.

———-

When she awoke from her trauma induced sleep, her vision was hazy and frazzled. Her memory though, was as clear as day, remembering every ounce of fear that had filled her however long ago. She forced herself to look up, gazing around for her friends. She saw Margot and Henry rouse from their knock out, causing Heidei to sigh in relief. She was glad they were alive, because all this effort to save them would have been wasted if they had died from an elevator crash. She felt a tapping on her cheek that made her jump, panic crossing her features and forcing her to swivel her head towards the pressure. She caught the gaze of Boris and smiled, glad he was okay despite the fall. Her vision was hard to focus, head aching from the trauma.

She looked around, looking to see if anything was surrounding them and being wary of the danger they were in. She saw nothing of the sort, until she heard a tapping from the hall across from where they sat in the debris, making her squint hard at the source of the noise. Her eyes widened, flickering lights illuminating an advancing figure.

No. Not Her. Not Now. Please Not Now.

Her chest constricted, breathing quickening and eyes shining. She spoke the best she could with her scratchy throat and disorganized thoughts. “Watch...out..” Heidei reached out slowly for Boris, helplessly watching Alice near the oblivious wolf with malicious intent. Her fingertips grazed the wolf’s shoulder, the brief feeling bringing comfort to her. She wished she could protect him so, so much.

The feeling was short lived, because as her vision faded once again, she watched hands pull her friend backwards swiftly. They were not giving him a chance to fight back, not now..not ever. All she knew was to tear people apart with no thought, taking innocent lives. Alice disappeared just as quickly as she appeared, into the shadows with her friend. Heidei’s vision began cutting out and fighting for control. “...no..please.” She weakly uttered, hand dropping to her side with her loss of energy. Her eyes closed against her will, sadness blanketing her during her unwelcome slumber. She didn’t want to go through this...

Not again. Please.


	9. Please: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discussion of injuries and violence!

The next few hours passed Heidei by with flying colors, her pain being immeasurable. With the ache in her head and the sadness and hopelessness that she felt , she was soon to spiral. When she hd woke up from her poor sleep she had seen her two friends kneeling by her side. Their heads were downcast, eyes full of worry in the wake of recent events. Their friend had seemed to go through a rollercoaster of emotions ever since she met up with them, showing countless times that she was capable of protecting them only for so long.

Margot’s heart broke at the few tears that silently streamed down Heidei’s face and grimaced tearfully. “We- we’ll make Alice pay!” She grasped Heidei’s hands delicately with eyes shining. She felt so terrible for her, wanting to help her feel better even when she knew it was impossible right now. She gazed into the pie cut eyes that showed the years of pain she endured. From isolation, from loss- from everything Joey had put her through. “I promise..” She leaned forward and pressed her head against Heidei’s forehead. Heidei’s eyes flicked, suprised by the close proximity of her friend. She sat there for a second but then smiled genuinely, a little bit of hesitation showing. “Thank you sweetheart...” She closed her eyes and pressed into Margot affectionately.

Henry smiled at the two of them, slowly huddling closer and wrapping strong arms around them. He wanted them to be happy just as much as being safe- and he would do the best he could to help them. If you looked at the three of them, you would only see a bundle of bodies. But if you looked closer, you would see sadness morphing into love. Recovery is slow- and nearly impossible in this place. But as long as they had people that cared, everything would be okay. It will be okay.

Please. Be Okay.

——-

When the three finally pulled away, a new sense of determination was in their hearts. They had to save Boris with the time they had, if they even could. Heidei knew better than anyone else that happy endings rarely came around in this place, but just this once, she hoped her friend could get what he deserved. She had wiped her tears, and forced her body to move. She had to- she just did.

Somehow, her head ached more than it did before. ‘It’s probably because I cried so much..’ she pondered, shrugging it off. She began walking forward with Margot and Henry on either side of her, a slight limp being obvious which made her slower than normal. She would feel better in time but she had to deal with injuries as they came, not being fortunate with healing powers. She tread forward, senses alert and waiting for any danger that could prevent their advancement. As someone who was the strongest, she had to do all she could to prevent harm coming to her friends. Her death wouldn’t mean anything, but they would.

She could probably be repaired if she was gruesomely ripped apart, because ink has memory. She was no exception, but it would prevent her from helping her friends get out fast. She would not be repaired for awhile and they had no time to waste. Heidei prefered to not be killed and then reborn, thank you very much! In this way, she reconsidered her life’s importance. Maybe her death WOULD mean something...

She shivered, pushing away her existential crisis. No time for pointless questioning when no one but herself can awnser, after all. While she was determined to save her friend, she had doubts and could not disregard them even if she wanted to. She obviously suffered from her internal struggle but she didn’t have the energy to accept reality. Her mind was full of hopelessness, that she hadn’t even noticed when the surroundings changed.

Apparently her friends had thought it was best to leave her to her own thoughts, exploring the area to open up the doors that remained closed across from them. It was a bit difficult to pinpoint the important and vital parts of the mechanism, taking longer than they would have liked to. Alice was aware of their location somehow, speaking with a teasing voice and mocking them over the loudspeaker. “I’m sure your friend won’t mind waiting for his rescue party while it stands idly by...” She jeered maliciously and hung the concept of doom over their head. It was the only thing Heidei could process among all the darkness in her mind.

Her blood boiled and she grit her teeth, anger taking over. If she ever got her hands on Alice, well...let’s just say one of them would end up mutilated. Her mind was racing with each gruesome scenario, hands yearning to grab her neck and choke her out. The longer she stayed in her thoughts, the longer her appearance began shifting. Ink dripped down her hairline, covering her eyes while her psuedo lungs took in the polluted air. She was shaking, and spiraling, and rapidly. 

She forgot anyone else was with her, so when she felt a tug on her arm she was thrown out of her fucked up head. She blinked not even aware of her appearance changes, missing all of it as they went back to normal. All she knew was what her mind set itself on- which was death for all those who hurt her friends. The ones who hurt her. She had tunnel vision, and she knew it could be her downfall which was scarier than anything else. She was an angry being naturally, but this place was corrupting her over time. Nobody could avoid the effects of inhabiting the studio. She would only become worse if nothing could ground her, her heart being put through new pains the longer she cared for people from her past.

She wanted to stop caring. 

But she couldn’t no matter how she tried. So she guessed that she would live like this forever, constantly going through an endless cycle of trauma. She sighed heavily, looking down at where the movement occurred before she got distracted again. It was Margot; standing still with worry and searching her own face for any indication as to what happened in Heidei’s mind. She looked so worried, so scared, for what-she didn’t know. 

‘That’s right’ Heidei realized, furrowing her eyebrows. Humans constantly felt emotion, regardless of their psychological state. Maybe caring wasn’t so bad as long as she had people to care for...

She smiled gently and nodded at her little friend, moving forward towards Henry. He was waiting by the open door patiently, albeit a little anxious. Everyone was on edge here because they knew they were nearing their destination. Heidei wasn’t quite sure how safe it was to go after Alice or to even trust her word, but if she was threatening their friend it must be true. She would stop at nothing to be beautiful, and would use the innocent ink on her twisted and ugly self. To be the perfect angel, just what Joey had depicted. Though at this point Heidei questioned how good it was to be considered beautiful by Joey’s sexist standards. No matter. It wasn’t part of her worries, and she shouldn’t even be pondering the motives of someone calling ransome.

Nothing much happened as they walked through the doors, which made Heidei lose interest fast. If she had no protecting to do then there wasn’t a point in fretting over her surroundings. She heard a little gasp come from Margot, making her look over with twitching ears. What could it be now? Heidei followed her friend’s gaze, perking up at some kind of ride seat. It had a front and back, conveniently being able to hold all three of them. Even with Heidei’s exaggerated height, she could hunch over in the cart to avoid being hit. This looked like a way they had to go- it was set up in such a way that made them believe that this was what Alice wanted. When they had all settled and the thing started moving, they all twiddled their thumbs. It was dark where the cart had lead them, making them sit up a little straighter and look into the void closer. 

When nearly invisible doors opened in front of them, all they could see was a room filled with random furniture that certainly didn’t belong there. The ride stopped with a buck, making the three jerk forward from the unexpected stop. They cautiously pushed themselves out of the uncomfortable seats, hands wringing themselves out of habit. This place wasn’t safe for them- something was here and it wasn’t friendly. What had Alice done? 

A loud bang sounded from behind the tall doors that were positioned in front of them, making them jump backwards. The bang kept occurring, sounding sluggish and rough. The last bang happened, but with a lot more force. They were scared of what made those noises- because in all rational ways, how big did you have to be to break those rusted doors open? The doors hit the wall and bounced back, a large shadow stalking from the darkened room. The doors closed when the thing hobbled out of the room, making the same sound they heard a minute ago. The trio’s eyes raised upwards, a monstrous thing coming into their hazy vision. 

No. Please No.

Heidei screamed.


	10. Please: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Slight body horror(?), Character death

Her blood ran cold and her eyes dialated at the sight. Quick huffs began escaping her mouth andpure sorrow drowned her. She screamed, louder than she had ever before and the stress of it made her voice crack. She wasn’t aware of the sounds around and emitting from herself though, because she was too focused on the bulky figure of her friend. Everything sounded like she was submerged in ink, the poking and prodding from her friends out of her cares. Her heart was splitting and the world was crumbling beneath her, knees buckling and agony constricting her chest. She knew this would happen, she counted on it in fact, so why was it tearing her apart? Why was she suprised at how far Alice would go to see destruction?

Heidei knew all along and yet she didn’t do a thing to prevent this. She was truly pathetic, and she knew very well she would never be able to live this down. She was still processing the situation and going through the motions of realization. She was simultaneously aware and unaware and her mind was shutting down the longer she stared ahead. She could feel the grip of animosity and sorrow, body beginning to convulse where she stood. This wasn’t good, not at all. She was gonna lose herself- and she couldn’t. Not again.

Margot and Henry were doing all they could to keep their toon friend from being crushed by the new and deformed Boris. It had clicked in their minds that she was going to snap very soon, and they couldn’t tell if they would be able to help her. The least they could do was keep the mutated Boris away from it’s former friend. There wasn’t any way she would fight him back willingly- not when she had so obviously had a guilty conscience fighting the damned projector. Visualizing her after a fight with a thing she didn’t know and being traumatized- but replaced by her old friend? No way in hell could their weak human hearts handle the stress of a heartbroken friend.

They had found a way to beat the monster- or slow it down. It was dropping ink everywhere that could be inserted to a machine. It’s set up was similar to one they had seen before, the mechanics of it second nature to them at this point. Margot was especially good at gathering the ink blobs and preparing the weapons, handing them off to Henry to use. They hid all around the room and knocked noisy things over when it became focused on their unmoving friend. They were growing worried by Heidei’s blank expression, watching as she shuddered. Her body was going through changes like they had before, Margot had pointed out to Henry at the time. Ink dripped from her hairline, and she was shaking much more violently than before. Heidei was frightening when she wasn’t trying to be and even now her intimidating persona was striking. 

Strinkingly sad, they thought. 

Heidei hunched over, back cracking painfully and body twitching from some unknown pain. She was making horrid noises and choking on her saliva, falling to her knees not so gracefully and groaning. This was the worst thing she had ever experienced, she thought to herself, and was reassured by never having to experience this again. It was excruciating to be going through this many physical changes- not to mention it was all because of her poor mentality. She was very pessimistic and already damaged from 30 years of being alone, so when she saw all the people she had ever loved being hurt or destoyed, her mind couldn’t handle much more. 

Heidei’s eyes were wide open and she seemed to be in a comatose state despite her mind being present, but her choking had died down by this point. At last she began relaxing, a deep rumble from the studio rising through her chest and across her limbs. She was deathly calm and taking in the vibrations, ink that didn’t belong to her seeping through her skin. Ink swam through every nook and cranny and was dragged to her, almost by a magnetic force. Her body’s form largened without any effort, growing slowly and dramatically and making her friends take notice and pause with suprise. The sight had to be the most disgusting, and at the same time, the most magnificent thing they had ever seen.

It wasn’t every day you could see a cartoon change into a terrifying beast. Except from what they could see- she was still the same Heidei. Same pretty black hair, same pie cut eyes and the same pointy nose. She may have grown in size but she still had familiarity to herself. But she looked sad...so tragically beautiful and grotesque. It made their bottom lips quiver from the very sight. She looked void of emotion, barely registered confusion flashing across her features. It was like she had never left the confines of that room and still sat behind that glass, alone and afraid. Masking every thought so she would not have to deal with the emotional baggage that came with being alive.

With much effort needed, she rose from the ground and looked straight ahead. She was tall, much taller than her original height. She had stood around 8 feet at that time, but now she was at the same height of this..Brute Boris. She was terrifying and amazing all at once and never ceased to amaze everyone. She seemed mindless in this state though, her body creaking and ink squelching as she moved. Unaware of the watching eyes, she kept on. She stumbled forward with eyes set on her old friend. She could vaguely hear ink pumping in her ears, mind revolving around the situation at hand.

Boris. 

She was having difficulty staying upright because she wasn’t used to supporting this much weight, but she never gave up on walking forward. When she stood face to face with Brute Boris, they both paused like they recognized each other. Heidei reached forward and placed hands delicately on his shoulders, gentleness with living creatures never absent even now. She had no ill will towards her friendly little wolf despite him not being so little anymore.Or friendly. Nevertheless, she spoke, but her mouth remained closed. Like she couldn’t speak in this form even if she desired to. Instead of her mouth flying open, a guttaral groan came from her and formed into simple words everyone could understand if they tried hard enough. 

_‘Rest now, my friend. You have been wronged and I hope one day we will meet again...’_

She pushed Boris down gently towards the ground, him willingly submitting. He understood what she had to say despite his brainwashed, hazy mind making it hard. But he recognized the voice even when unspoken, a sense of yearning striking him. He wanted to speak badly, or to tell her he understood even when he was so deformed and beyond repair. Alas, he could not communicate properly so he simply settled for giving in. She wouldn’t do anything wrong- all she had to do was tell him to let himself go and he would. She would prevent any harm from coming to him, he just knew it. So with a long, meaningful stare, he closed his eyes and let himself deteriorate. He was vulnerable, the pain of mutation fading as he was drained of ink. Soon he became nothing more than a puddle and part of the studio.

His final thoughts were wrecked and muddled, but the echo of his friend served their purpose. 

_‘Goodbye Boris.’_


	11. The Ups and Downs of Humanity: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mention of suicidal thoughts

Being alive was a constant struggle in a place like this, the abandoned studio making people commit sinful acts that would never grant them a place in heaven. Surely whatever may reside above could cut the victims some slack- otherwise they would be damned to eternal hell. The studio would keep them forever unless someone could take them from the decaying, cursed building. Nothing but time was on their side, rotting and being reborn from putrid ink. The cycle never ended and it couldn’t be escaped.

Heidei’s heartfelt goodbye left a feeling of sadness in all of them, Margot and Henry hoping that she wouldn’t be blaming herself for all the chaos. She dealt with Boris in a humane way but something still didn’t sit right with them. Why did she grow to such a large size? Was it to communicate better- or to subdue her trampling friend? It was unknown but they had to assume it was her body’s way of preventing any physical harm coming to her and to keep her in check somehow. Being smaller than something you try to calm probably wouldn’t have helped her.

When Boris and his ink faded away, Heidei crumpled to the ground, large form shaking and decreasing. Margot and Henry hurried over to her and kneeled by her side, worried eyes scanning her figure. She looked exhausted and depressed, face sunken in. She just wanted to lie down somewhere along- mourn in peace. She hadn’t had much time to do that, constantly ignoring the tidal wave of emotions that hit her one moment after another. She only hoped she could be alone for awhile and ponder alone. 

It seemed like she hadn’t gotten a break yet because the next thing she knew she heard a screeching voice barrel towards them. It was Alice and she was very distraught, her one and only hope being subdued. She was frantic and angry, crazy with delusion of false halos and subjective beauty. She didn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful, Heidei knew that very well. She wasn’t an ideal woman based on society’s standards because of her potrayal, a loud and vulgar mouth not helping her win the title. It didn’t matter to her as much as it did to Alice, but that was because she was tortured in other ways. Ways that left her scrambling for something to ground her and prevent anxiety from taking over. Alice seemed to be the same way, but she never dealt with the emotion she was conditioned to feel.

For this, Heidei felt bad. She still refused to forgive her for killing Boris, having to take him down gently to prevent him from causing any harm to others. But she understood why she acted the way she did now, and it made her heart twist. Poor Alice. She was angry and taking it out on people that had done nothing but protect themselves. Even now she charged at them with broken eyes. She was deformed and torn apart, but had an etheral beauty to her sadness. It made Heidei smile. She knew Alice wouldn’t do anything- not with a looming shadow behind her. Not with it reaching towards her and jabbing through the middle of her chest, a force painful enough to make her freeze. Alice’s eyes went wide, and she collapsed face first onto the tiled floor. It all happened so slowly, her defeat quick and final. At least Heidei hoped it was.

She was numb to the sight of dead friends, heart hurting but free from pain at the same time. She sat behind her own conscience and hid, not ready to cry yet. She directed her gaze up at the savior, making her tilt her head. It looked like Alice- but it wasn’t. Her face was less torn up, and she had visible white horns. She was the complete opposite of Alice but also one and the same. The thing that stood next to her was also familiar, as it resembled Boris. At least, in his original form. He was somehow more intimidating, having a cold exterior when he looked so similar to the warm and friendly wolf she once knew.

“Who are you?” Heidei questioned, leaning backwards tiredly. She really didn’t have the energy to meet new people that reminded her of her previous friends. “Someone that can help you three.” The voice that spoke was soft but firm, belonging to the pretty girl. Heidei rose an eyebrow and looked to either side of her. Margot and Henry needed help, not her. She shrugged and looked back at the woman. “Listen lady. I don’t need it, these two do.” She gestured by thumbing them weakly. “I can only do so much for them.” The two new toons nodded, acknowledging the new information.

“We’re Allison and Tom. We saw how you dealt with that..thing-“ She started off innocently but crossed a line immeadiatly. She sensed it the second after she said it, eyes widening. Heidei narrowed her pie cut eyes and growled, tone dropping from the unintended insult. “He was my friend. He was a good wolf. Never; and I mean never, talk bad about people you see me with. He wasn’t some spectacle and neither am I, so if you aren’t gonna be anything but disrespectful I suggest you scram.” Heidei crossed her arms, huffing out with exasperation. She realized that she should give the stranger some slack because she didn’t know any better, but she was stubborm in every regard and didn’t allow it. She didn’t like hearing Boris be talked about so lowly, tired of dead creatures being nothing but things to outsiders. Objects.

Allison flinched, regret coming to her face. “I’m sorry about that..I didn’t know...” She was sympathetic, but Heidei didn’t want to hear any of if. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Whatever. If you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go relax on my own before you people give me a fuckin’ heart attack. If I can sense anything wrong from you- or somethin’ happens to either of them...It’s your throats.” She was very insistent with the well being of her friends, wanting to desperately be alone but also wanting to make sure her friends were safe. 

She didn’t even acknowledge the sputtering of her human friends, walking back through the doors in which the trio had entered. She wished she had never seen the room, memories rising up and choking her. She brushed them off poorly, attemtping to find a spot to break down. When her legs lead her to to the destroyed elevator, she slid down the cracking wood and put her head in her hands.

Today sucked. She had to force her friend to give himself to the studio-and not to mention she saw another of her old, corrupted friends be killed right in front of her. She didn’t wanna see any new faces that resembled either of them, especially not after they had both just died around the same time. It was time for her to mourn and no one could take that away from her. This was the first time she’d been alone in awhile, finally having a moment of quiet.

Just her luck though, for it to be interrupted by something dragging itself towards her. She perked up when she noticed the sound and froze, mind screaming at her to move but her body remaining still. Every one of her instincts demanded she run and she didn’t listen, body tired and no longer being able to protect herself from the monsters that hunted her. She could hear dragging feet advancing to her weak form and it made her eyes water. No matter how much she wanted to die, her mind could never stop thinking of all the people she’d miss. 

And of all the people that wouldn’t miss her. 

She was alone after all, she was the one that decided to storm off from people that were worried about her and her friends, and she regret it dearly. Now she was gonna die at the hands of some creature that was simply another mistake of the studio. Might as well look her doom in the face, she thought. She pulled herself together and flicked her eyes up from her hands, a gasp leaving her mouth. 

Fuck! How did he find her? How did she not know it was him? He was usually louder, but this time his character was quiet and observant.

He stood there, watching. Like he knew that she wasn’t okay. It made her heart thump and quiver at the same time. What was he planning?


	12. The Ups and Downs of Humanity: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old friends meet up again and are confused with their emotions

She couldn’t move an inch, fear holding her in its embrace and keeping her in place. The ink that made her who she was pumped in her ears, and it was switching between a solid and liquid state. The very foundation of her body told her to disappear, to escape him. But she couldn’t- not with the lack of energy in herself or the nagginng of unanswered questions.

There he stood, in all his terrifyingly beautiful glory. He was the monster of legends, bringer of the end. And he held his position, motionless and forming a puddle of runny ink. He looked as if he was examining her, curiousity making his barely visible tail swing back and forth. He didn’t try to move forward, crouching down slowly and pressing his long digits against the ground to stay upright. He was like a big cat in that way, nimble and fast; slow when he wanted to be. Bendy made no move, and neither did Heidei.

He spoke in a confused tone, wondering out loud about his concerns. “Why aren’t you running?” His voice was a shock, it being more of a coherent, clear tone than she expected. It had a bit of an accent to it, one that would probably make her shiver differently if she wasn’t terrified. She stifled her untimely smile, closing her eyes to hide the pricking tears. “I could ask you the same thing..why aren’t you killing me?” Even with her fear she was snarky, but this had no real malice behind it. Maybe some of her questions could be awnsered if he was able to understand and he wasn’t immediately killing her. She hoped this would be worth it, to have this closure in exchange for her life. The ink that fell in oddly specifc streams across his body slowed down, the sound of it falling to the ground lessening. “I..I don’t know why.” Bendy was a strange thing- not quite her small trickster devil, but more intimidating and quiet. No matter how angry he could look towards others without his eyes visible, she imagined he would be looking at her with confused softness.

Heidei moved her head downwards and opened her eyes. She didn’t want to see what bothered her anymore, not when she would cry if she looked. Not out of fear, but out of pity. Anybody in this studio that was covered head to toe in ink and vengeful in mannerisms couldn’t of been treated kindly. “I..” She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to find the right words to say to him after all this time. “I don’t know if you remember me..it’s been 30 years.” She frowned sadly at the memory of the terrible room and her captors. She blinked back tears and continued speaking to the silent Bendy. “We used to be good friends in those old cartoons. I was removed early though because a certain man couldn’t handle a progressive woman character. I was mistreated terribly here..and I can only guess that you were too.” She mustered up the courage to look up, gazing where his eyes should have been. 

His posture stiffened and he peered through the darkness. The sight in front of him was a rather striking creature, pie cut eyes paired with expressive eyebrows looking straight back at him. Thick black hair fell to her shoulders and making it seem like a purposeful style, when really it was nothing more than her natural look. A pointy nose poked from the porcelain painted face, and he could vaguely see pointy ears that were poorly hidden by the hair. She was beautiful, even to Bendy’s generally uninterested eyes. She looked so similar to someone he knew, mind struggling to piece the puzzle together. If her words were any indication, she knew him very well at one point. He thought back to when he first was created, somehow remembering the time of being animated on paper. He, Boris, Alice were the first creations of Henry Stein and he couldn’t recall Henry creating another character. What he did remember was a tall figure being animated with him, side by side and unaware of what the new addition really meant. He remembered her, sly and bold. Outspoken even with no voice and ambitious with her chosen ‘occupation’.

If he knew any better, the figure that sat in front of him was his Heidei. His love- the one he had so much fun pranking Boris with. His bold, strong friend. He wasn’t quite sure why he considered her his love, because after so many years he only just remembered her. Bendy was sure of one thing though; the fact that when he had first been brought to life all he thought of was his Heidei. He missed her sharp grin and tricky pranks, and the way she would smile so purely at him every now and then. The last memory, he scrunched up his face, as it turns out was only part of what he wished. He just remembered meeting her and enjoying her company. He considered her a dear friend just like the rest of the toons, confusion taking over when she disappeared from the animation rather quickly.

He leaned forward cautiously, trying to avoid startling the shaken girl. She hid it very well and for some reason it made his inky heart ache. How long has she lived so isolated, hidden from people? Was she like him- but worse? He had only been locked in a room until he was accidentally let out. He went on a rampage after that but it didn’t seem she had to the opportunity to do so. “Are you...Heidei?” He was desperate to know if this woman was who he thought she was, body twitching anxiously. He wanted it to be her so badly and if it wasn’t, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself. He nudged himself from his wandering thoughts and paid attention to the woman. Her face broke out into a sad smile, fat inky tears shining against her pie cut eyes. She nodded and sniffled, joy and sadness looming over her heart. 

Bendy’s heart constricted and thumped rapidly, a feeling of relief spread over his stressed body. “Where...where have you been all this time?” He was cautious, not sure if she would snap at him for asking her questions. He really didn’t wanna upset her after just meeting her after years. The symmetrical face he gazed at flinched, eyes dialating. It turns out it was the wrong question to ask because of her reaction. “I...i was in this studio since I was brought to life. Joey and his little sidekick locked me in a room I couldn’t escape from for over...20 years? I have no real idea of how long..time passed so slow and so fast at the same time. I experienced many things down there, lost people for a the majority of my life.” She breathed out, shoulders shaking as she inhaled the dusty air. “I’ve been alone for decades and only got out a few years ago. I met my creators and tried to help them but I only saw more horrors. I had to force Boris to not kill us and Alice was slaughtered in front of my very eyes. I can’t keep doing this..this endless cycle of watching people I loved die...” Heidei stared at Bendy, haunted pie cut eyes piercing his conscience. “You-you were here all along..?” He was horrified. If she was right beneath his feet, could he have gotten her out earlier.

She suffered just like him, but the difference between them was that he was completely capable of breaking her out of the room. He was pathetic, idiotic and most of all, at fault. He scoot back to distance themselves and let guilt eat at himself. He put his hands over his eyes and scrubbed trying to get rid of the tears that began to fall from his eyes. “I’m so sorry. Shit. I’m sorry. I should have known. I’m so very sorry...” His words were becoming frantic, a sob ripping out of his chest. “I’m sorry Heidei...Fuck. If I got you out of there faster you wouldn’t have dealt with all this. I didn’t know you were here that long- and I thought I was the only thing that Joey brought to life. If I had escaped from that room and went to you earlier you would have never suffered the way you did...I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He cried for her, emotion gripping him for the first time in decades. 

He couldn’t snap himself out of his guilt, inky globs falling from him with sorrow. Even his ink knew the feeling of guilt, covering the floor where he sat. He was shaking roughly and wasn’t paying attention to the subject of his pain. She watched for a minute, seeing how broken up he was about this. What did he mean escaping from ‘that’ room? What happened to him? Why was he blaming himself if he had no idea she was even in a physical form? She sniffed, frown adorning her features. She shuffled forward on her knees, hesitantly reaching out for the sad monster. He didn’t look up at all, only ending up crying harder. Bendy had never looked so fragile. Despite his intimidating form, he wasn’t evil. He was just worried and hurt, blaming himself for what he didn’t know. Heidei came face to head with him and gazed at his slumped figure. No matter what movement she made, he wouldn’t look up. So she brought her hands to his face slowly, giving him every chance to pull away. She cradled his head for a second, the comforting weight feeling refreshing. This was all new for her too, because she didn’t quite understand why she had to be so close and personal to comfort her friend. She brushed it off and continued her slow movements. She lift his head up gradually, thumbing off the out of place ink and smiling sadly at him. She leaned forward and softly pressed her forehead against his own, closing and hiding her own eyes. His physical form may have scared her at first, but she knew now it wasn’t fair to him. He didn’t choose to be tortured by Joey Drew. No one deserved that pain, especially not him.

She spoke quietly after letting him cry, it taking all her control to not interrupt him. Sometimes people needed to cry and then be comforted, not always during it. She pulled back and adjusted herself and never once stopped being gentle. She moved her hands towards his eye position delicately and moved the ink that covered him. He still had the same pie cut eyes, and he seemed so tragic looking at her like that. His face was scrunched and he appeared broken, features debating the form they wanted to take. “Bendy...” She whispered, catching his attention. “It’s not your fault. It never has been..you cannot be blamed for what you didn’t know. It’s not fair to anybody and you know that very well.” She was firm in what she believed, and she strongly believed that how she was brought up was the fault of no one but her captor. She tilted her head and wrapped her arms around his strong body, resting her chin on his shoulder. She spoke a bit louder, wanting him to listen to her very closely. “Even though you didn’t do anything wrong...I forgive you. I forgive you Bendy.” The gentleness of the words rang true in his ears, a shuddering cry leaving his mouth. All these years of this guilt could go away if he was forgiven, right? He wasn’t at fault for anything that happened to her- is what he’d like to believe. But he didn’t. Instead he listened and slowly nodded. He brought his arms around her awkwardly and pushed away the heat spreading across his face. What the hell?

It’s just a hug, nothing more. He tried to convince himself but her strange natural scent became pleasant to his senses. Nature? If that’s what nature even smelt like. He had never been outside and all he knew was that she was a refreshing being- a familiar face to care for and love. Love? What was he thinking? He didn’t mean that...right?


	13. On the Fence: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter- but leading to something more!

He was stumped in the wake of this event. He was refreshed but also tired, not sure of what to do now that they both finally met each other after so long. “Hey Bendy?” He perked up and shifted backwards to get a better view of her face, large eyes staring at him hopefully. “...yea doll?” She smiled softly at the sound of the nickname for reasons unknown to her. “Do you want to see where I was?” This confused Bendy for a split second until he realized she was talking about where she was locked away for decades. He felt queasy, not wanting to know how close he had been to her. How unaware he really had been. He pushed his self pity away and nodded slowly, throat scratchy and dry from the suprising question.

Heidei was hesitant on going back to that cursed room, making her hit herself on the head. She had no issue staying there when she had an exit- everything would be okay. Bendy could help her if she was ever stuck anywhere, there isn’t any need for panic. At least she tried to convince herself of that, she was the one that asked to go there and she was to blame for the venture. Can’t go back now, she thought sluggishly. She stood up and grabbed his large hands, pulling him up from his hunched position. “Are you able to use portals?” She tilted her head in thought, hoping the awnser was a yes. She recieved a nod of his head, a smile taking over her face once again. “I want to go to the basement. I can navigte my way to the room.” She was rather prepared for this and Bendy couldn’t tell if this bothered him or not. He shifted awkwardly at the firmness in her tone and shuffled towards a wall surface. A black blob formed on the rotting wood, expanding to a large size. It was big enough to fit someone of his stature, Heidei recognized. Makes sense.

He stepped through first, and flicked his head in a way to say ‘follow me’. He disappeared and she followed right after, the feeling of her placement changing rapidly and nearly making her fall. Luckily she caught herself despite her dark vision, navigating and stumbling through an inky tunnel towards a light, seeing she and Bendy both reached a clearing. The light consumed them both, regaining their vision and standing in a large, open room. Heidei gazed around for a second for any sign of where to go and spotted a familiar, dimly lit hall way. Dread filled her stomach and she forced the lump in her throat down, walking to the hall slowly. She didn’t look behind her to see if he was following because she could hear squelching footsteps and a whipping tail. He was just as anxious as her- maybe even more. He was jittery, hearing the way Heidei’s heart thumped in her chest  
at the distance between them and the room. She gulped, shakily pointing not too far ahead.

“..Here.” Her voice directed him towards a desolate room, cracked glass with a person shaped broken into the surface. Ink dripped from the edge of the glass, not something able to gather. It made Heidei ponder, wondering if that was her bat’s ink. It didn’t matter much anymore, she thought. She shrugged it off and ignored her concerns. She and Bendy’s eyes trailed over the messy scene, broken glass littering the floor. The lights flickered rapidly within the prison, making making it appear as the electrical utilities within that small room were messed up by the leaking ink long ago. The metal door that kept her in for so long was still, propped propped open as another form of exit and entrance. It was deathly quiet except for the creaky floorboards that echoed down the hall, simply weighed down by the heavy and tension filled air.

“I was in here for so long...and I was never able to get out. I was drained of any power and I only recently realized I could bust out with my ink.” She swallowed rougly, throat closing up from her barely noticable rising panic. It wasn’t just this room that was getting to her, but also the whereabouts of her human friends. She hoped they were safe- or at least could protect themselves while she was gone. She wished she hadn’t stormed off like that, regretting her need for grieving. It was all new, the concept of friends. While she was traumatized so often, the extent and amount she had been paralyzed with shock was going to kill her. Heidei huffed through the gathering tears and looked over at the devil. His face was twitching, smile set in more of a grimace. Bendy was pained by the sight, but never gave a hint as to why. She could only assume this place left a sick feeling in his stomach as well. She know it effected her a lot, so it wasn’t a far off guess. She crossed her fingers, wishing Bendy would not feel guilty. Sadly- people are not in control of how others feel. Even if they hoped for happiness, life will not allow the caring to be happy. 

Bendy could feel her pie cut eyes looking at him sadly. He wasn’t quite sure what he felt, only knowing of the weight that sat on his shoulders. Something was poking at his conscience even with this, ears perking subtly at the added and close presence. It did not feel right, nor innocent. He closed his ink covered eyes- finding the cut out that gave him his eyes. He had many of them on every level, his disciple worshipping him and making an entire fucking shrine. It was closer to the new presence which gave him an idea of where to look. He was confused by what he saw, seeing a large form with it’s clunky projector head. 

That wasn’t the strangest part- not even close. It was looking for something..or someone. Bendy scrunched up his face and felt for the beat of any heart, focusing on a loud pair of thumping hearts waiting for their doom. They were hiding in the miracle station- but they weren’t doing a good job. The thing was going to get them if they stayed there for too long, the creature was beginning to learn of the sneaky survival tactics. He wasn’t sure if this was important to him at all, shrugging it off. He came back to where he was before, turning to look at Heidei to ask her of their next movements. When his eyes flicked to her, a haunted expression morphed her face from it’s original sad one. “Bendy.” Everything about her was chilling, her voice sounding pained and angry. “You saw it too. Felt it.” He was taken aback by her abilities, mind racing. She could do a lot like him but maybe even more. Let him be reminded she wasn’t very physically strong and had less of an advantage. He remembered that much. He did acknowledge that she had a pretty strong swing that suprised him. He curiously wondered where that bat came from- he didn’t see where it had formed from originally because he was too distracted by her appearance. Ever since the beginning, she felt familiar. Her cowering in fear took nothing from that truth.

He nodded slowly and flinched when her voice sank to a whisper. She looked like so many things in this moment- angry, sad. Pained and conflicted. Some normal humans and dumb creature couldn’t be worth this much agony. Strangers don’t cause an ache in your heart simply by hiding and wringing their hands to the beat of their hearts. Unless...

“Take me there.” His breath hitched, suspicions being confirmed. Bendy was only beginning to wonder about the motives of her concern, but he had an idea of them. Humans. He feared what would happen to her; or the creature for this matter if she acted upon her emotions now. Heidei was on the brink and was set off, staring him down. She commanded him to bring her to them- a blatant disregard for danger.

This can’t be good.


	14. On the Fence: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mention of gore, self hate, ect.

He had a choice. He could deny and make her go on a search all by herself, or he could bring her to them and watch out for her. Bendy didn’t want her hurt by the creatures in this place and he wasn’t thrilled by her being alone. He sighed and nodded reluctantly, preferring to be near her, allowing her simmering anger to decrease by a bit. He turned his body, imagining how she might feel, knowing whoever those people are (her friends presumably) are in danger. He decided he wouldn’t want to face that, so he pictured his trademark inky portal forming on the wall that stood to the right of them. It was quick appearance of the ink and disappearance of the duo as they stepped through.

It took a second for Heidei to be adjusted to her surroundings, but after blinking rapidly, her sense of balance and awareness came back. The hall looked so familiar to all the others, only difference being the occasionally scattered miracle stations. Bendy tilted his head, hearing the beating hearts much closer than before. They were aware of the danger they were in, chests practically contstricted from the nearing doom.

Bendy and Heidei were hidden in the corner diagnol from them, oblivious to the monster that neared the living beings in the makeshift stations. Once they finally heard the incoming footsteps, they perked up and sinked down into their own ink, watching cautiously. Heidei hoped and prayed that it wasn’t who she hoped, angry tears welling up on the brim of her pie cut eyes. After a moment of waiting silently, a creature finally stumbled into view. Heidei twitched at the sight, eyes hollowing. It was back, somehow. It was alive and flickering. Heidei stared straight ahead at the cursed abomination. Ink dripped down the walls around them, from the creature, and down Heidei’s face in immense amounts. She shuddered, eyes focused on the persistent bug. It would never give up, is what she guessed. No. She knew.

She rolled her eyes and shifted, dragging her arms up past her ink and resting them on the chipped wood. She pushed herself out of her ink, watching the object of anger. The projector stood there, a low rumble emitting from his sputtering head. It looked to Heidei like it was still injured and partly blind, but she had never heard the growl like grumble before. It was angry and hunting; Heidei assumed for her friends. The very thought made her fill with more rage, body twitching rapidly. More ink poured down her face rapidly as her long legs moved forward, locked on the thing she named ‘Projector Bitch’. She had no patience left with it, knowing the being had no recollection of anything until something familiar person crossed its light. 

Heidei wasn’t trying to be silent, obvious by the heavy steps that sounded on the creaky floorboards. The sound must of caught it’s attention at one point, head scanning the area around it. It’s light crossed her path and illuminated her tall form, body stiffening at the new presence. Heidei didn’t mind fighting- now anyway. She wasn’t gonna hold back anymore, especially not since this thing was going to fight back twice as hard. The Projector took a second to process the arrival, stance switching to an offensive form. 

In a split second, a lot happened. Projector Bitch charged forward, and Heidei sank down swiftly. After a moment of navigating, she launched herself out of her ink puddle that appeared behind the monster. She popped up behind the thing and quickly grabbed it’s shoulder, dragging it down. It struggled, thrashing and hitting Heidei in it’s fit. She had to admit- it hurt like a bitch. Fitting. She smiled maliciously, watching the struggle of the bane of her existence. Lost in her consuming thoughts, it took her off guard when it wiggled free from her grasp and turned around on its knees. It reached for her, big hands grabbing Heidei roughly and yanking her from the ink dangerously fast. 

It was angrier, certainly more than before. It wasn’t gonna make the mistake of being taken down by her again. It tossed her harshly and made her skid across the old wood. Heidei winced at the sensation, forcing herself to ignore. it. She would feel worse pain if she didn’t pay attention to its next move. She stood up, pouncing back towards the Projector in persistence. She also wasn’t willing to lose, knowing that her friends would be forever in danger if this thing still roamed the halls. Heidei teared at the monster, globs of ink falling from it’s body as her hands mutilated it. 

The monster keened, violently throwing her off and standing to the full height. It was a back and forth exchange, blows being thrown at one another. Heidei had to admit that she was still tired from her transformation not too long ago, and the amount of emotions that held her for hours on end. She was growing weak even with a strong resolve, ink dripping from wood induced cuts on her back and all across her body. She couldn’t seel all of them if she couldn’t focus, and she wasn’t even sure if she could die. 

She didn’t wanna take the chance, but she wouldn’t be able to fight much longer. She was tossed away once more, this time hitting the wall with a crack. She groaned, not being able to disregard the feeling of a practically broken back. She hunched over, the ink that poured down her face lessening as her anger bubbled low in her stomach.

A weight of dread took over, resistance failing her. She couldn’t handle all these blows, not now. She regret not handling it better, life flashing before her eyes. She sniffled at the thought of the loneliness that accompanied her even in death and pain, wishing badly Bendy would help. She wasn’t sure what he could do but she knew she preferred to find out now than after. She shut her eyes sadly and leaned against the wall as the thing neared her, scrunching her face. 

She waited for the blow, the whirring sound taking over her senses. With her eyes closed, she couldn’t notice the puddle forming on the wall directly in front of her. She didn’t notice the way her friend stepped out as Projector Bitch stalked towards her. She didn’t notice anything until she heard a growl and squelch. Her eyes snapped open, shocked by what she saw. Bendy stood tall in front of her, arm lifting a squirming projector by it’s neck. He looked scary, just as he did when she first saw him again. This time though, he actually had well intentions to protect Heidei. It struck Heidei that he looked rather attractive, in a weird way. He was grotesque but appealing all at once, and it confused Heidei. 

‘What the hell am I thinking?’

How badly was she actually hurt?

No matter, she supposed. She watched in awe as Bendy’s gloved hand tightened around the Projector Bitch’s neck, both his hands coming up to grasp the monster. He angled the projector, resting one of his hands at the base of the creature’s neck. He wrapped is hand around the projector head, resting beneath the start of it’s head. Bendy tugged hard at the juncture of the neck, ripping the object off of the shoulders. It was a vile, disgusting sight that splattered blood-like ink across the ground. Bendy heaved and dripped with ink, loosely holding the busted projector in his mangled hand. He looked terribly angry and bloodthirsty. It sent a shiver down Heidei’s back, breath catching in her throat. She gulped and wiped the ink from her face. 

She looked to the left, spotting the miracle station that contained her friends. She didn’t want to face them now- not when she was in so much physical pain. She roughly pushed herself up and wrapped her hand around Bendy’s wrist. She tugged him away from the dissolving body, being taken over by gratefulness. She was glad he helped considering her wrecked state. She indicated he make a portal on the wall, tapping the wall gently. He nodded and gazed at the wall, an inky shape big enough to fit the two of them appearing on the wall. 

She let go of Bendy, and turned her body towards the wall of the station. She sighed and rapped her knuckles on the side. Heidei wished she had enough confidence to show them who she was helping- but she did not. She faced the portal again and put a foot through, hearing the creaking door of the station ringing in her ears. She’d hope they could manage from now on because she quite literally wouldn’t be able to help. She disappeared out of sight with Bendy, portal closing behind her.

Silence and ink drowned the two. The only thing that brought Heidei out of her intrusive thoughts was Bendy’s hesitant question. “..Are ya okay?” 

The question was simple, and too general and specific all at once. Usually one would say ‘yes’ whether they meant it or not. It could be talking about her entire state of mind, or only a specific part of one’s state. She was unsure of which he meant but her heart still thumped faster at his concern. His voice was too...genuine, too caring; To lie to. She didn’t wanna lie to him. He must of not been used to asking people that since he had been alone for so long. Like her. Her face was scrunched up in pain, eyes narrowed. But the caring tone made her soften her features. Even despite her cuts, the limp, the emotional trauma she faced; she was okay. She couldn’t place why she was suddenly feeling better, or how quickly she recovered. It must of had something to do with the ‘little’ devil that showed how much he cared in so many ways in the span of a timeless day. She smiled lightly, nodding her head to him. 

“I’m wonderful.”

Bendy perked up at the response, grin twitching. He could tell that Heidei was hurting, but her rather enthusiastic words confused his heart. It was so soft, so genuine to his senses. She wasn’t that nice with anyone else; he knew that much. Something was changing in the both of them, and maybe it was for the better. He felt giddy but he attempted to push the rush of emotions out of his head. Heidei herself hadn’t noticed where they were until now, being too distracted with her racing heart. She examined the area once she snapped out of her confused stupor, not recongizing the part of the studio they strolled through. They must be deep into Bendy’s territory, she concluded. She had been forced to avoid the area for a long time, unsure if she could be hurt by other beings. At this point she knew she could be hurt- tortured even. She was glad to have avoided it for so long, not knowing how to fix herself up after injury for the longest time. 

Her prolonged caution made her survive. This caution also came with confusion, mind and heart battling. In the wake of recent events, she had went after the now dead monster with the intent to protect her friends. If protecting involved killing- was it worth it? She never knew where the line should be drawn, or where the boundaries should be pushed. It made self hatred brew in the pit of her stomach and push itself up her her body and clog her throat. Heidei would never think of herself as some hero; some all knowing being to protect people. She was simply herself, which was either a blessing or a curse. Every single creature in the studio has something different to say, or maybe nothing at all. She had moments of glory and admiration towards herself, but then again- she was constantly clouded by the isolation induced anxiety that never left her alone. She may always be scared and hateful towards herself.

She didn’t know what else she could do to prevent it.


End file.
